Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office detectives raided an Anthem nail salon and two area homes this morning, in connection with what deputies are calling the largest marijuana growing organization in Arizona history.
Zaza Nails, at Daisy Mountain Drive and Anthem Way, was one of eight locations in the Valley found to be involved in the Long Hoang Drug Trafficking Organization. The leaders of the drug ring have been identified as Long Phuc Hoang, his wife Taryn Loan Nguyen, her sister Thuy Tammy Nguyen and her husband Son Manh Ngo.
MCSO seized 1,400 plants, with a street value in the millions. The bulk of the plants were found at a warehouse on 7th Avenue in Phoenix and an apartment on 3rd Avenue. A residence on 44th Avenue and another on 24th Drive in Tramonto were among this morning’s raids.
The drugs were sold largely online and by phone, and delivered via courier, according to MCSO, and Zaza Nails was used as a front to launder the organization’s profits.
Fifty officers with the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas task force served search warrants at the eight locations around 6:30 a.m. Agents seized drugs, vehicles (including a boat), computers, weapons (including an AR-15 assault rifle) and cash. Nine suspects were arrested: Long Phuc Hoang, Juan Carlos Taveras, Latsamay Tongsay, Frank Junior Hoang, Son Manh Ngo, Devin Lee Gainey, Thuy Tammy Nguyen, Stuart Clayton Shorty, Michael Davin Dood.
“This is high-grade, high-quality marijuana, grown hydroponically. This isn’t the type of drugs coming from Mexico,” said Sheriff Joe Arpaio. “People pay a lot of money for this grade of marijuana, and now we have shut them down.”